Many of us find ourselves glued to the events in Sochi right now. It's inspiring to see lithe athletes in their prime, pushing the limits of artistry and gravity. After all, Fitness Friday is a highlight of our week here at the New Balance Foundation Marine Mammal Center. So with the Olympics on our minds, it's not hard to imagine the seals and sea lions in similar acrobatic endeavors.

Zoe practices skeleton

The sea lions and fur seals have lots of toys available to them for enrichment purposes. Sometimes we put jello in these big dishes, sometimes a sea lion squeezes herself into one. We thought Zoe looked like a skeleton slider (minus the icy track and break-neck speeds)!

Leu finds a missing Olympic ring

Meanwhile, Leu, our rescued Northern fur seal, found a missing Olympic ring. He found it a nice place for a mid-play nap.

Come visit these animals when they're up to their Olympic antics in the main exhibit! Whether it's snowy or sunny, these animals are right at home in the marine mammal center. Get front row seats to watch these clever marine animals slide, splash and interact with their trainers. (Psst...save time and buy your tickets online!)

Find out other ways our seals and sea lions stay active (and rested):
The fur seal pups—Kit and Chiidax—have fun on a snow day

• Seals and sea lions play with bubbles
• Zoe and Sierra exercise their problem solving skills
• And then they find time for some frisking in the sprinkler
• The harbor seals got in on the mental action
• When the play is all through, everyone needs a rest

With fur as thick as a Northern fur seal, near-zero temperatures and snow storms pose no problem for the Northern fur seals at the New England Aquarium. In fact, they can be quite fun.

Kitovi and Chiidax, our newest additions to the Aquarium's Northern fur seal colony, are currently behind the scenes, but this did not stop these two 6 month old seals from enjoying their very own snow day! While humans everywhere stayed home to brave the storm, these two babies, especially Chiidax, discovered how much fun piles of frosty flakes can be.

Kitovi

Chiidax, a rescued Northern fur seal from Alaska, has grown quite a bit since arriving at the Aquarium a couple months ago—you can hardly recognize him!

Kitovi and Chiidax

Watch how Kitovi and Chiidax play in the snow.  At first they don’t quite know what to make of the giant pile of snow, but they quickly figure out that it’s fun new toy.



Kitovi and Chiidax are not the only seals to enjoy a good snowy romp, check out some of the antics of Leu and Ursula.

Stay warm everyone!

-Marie